Road notes from East Africa
Permits, park fees, seasons and road conditions for driving yourself through Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Tanzania Zanzibar Stone Town: Walking Guide to the World Heritage Site
Zanzibar's Stone Town — the historic core of Zanzibar City on the western coast of Unguja Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2000), 2.5 sq km of narrow…
East Africa Self-Drive Safari vs Guided Tour: Honest Comparison
The choice between a self-drive safari and a guided tour with a professional driver-guide is the most consequential planning decision for East Africa…
Kenya Aberdare National Park: Tree Hotels, Waterfall Walks and Bongo
The Aberdare National Park in central Kenya — 766 sq km of high-altitude moorland, bamboo forest, and Afro-Alpine heath at 2,000–4,001 m elevation in the…
Uganda Sipi Falls: Waterfalls, Coffee and Hiking on Mount Elgon
Sipi Falls — a three-tier waterfall cascade on the western escarpment of Mount Elgon (Uganda's second-highest mountain at 4,321 m), dropping the Sipi River…
Rwanda Coffee Tourism: Visiting Washing Stations and Producer Cooperatives
Rwanda has quietly become one of the world's most respected specialty coffee producers — winning Cup of Excellence competitions, appearing on the menus of…
Kenya Lake Bogoria: Flamingos, Hot Springs and Geysers in the Rift Valley
Lake Bogoria National Reserve — an alkaline Rift Valley lake 60 km north of Nakuru at 960 m altitude, surrounded by the dramatic escarpment wall of the Rift…
Tanzania Arusha to Moshi: Kilimanjaro Base Town Comparison for Trekkers
Visitors planning a Kilimanjaro climb face an immediate practical question: base in Arusha (Tanzania's second largest city, 80 km west of Kilimanjaro) or…
Uganda Bwindi Buhoma Sector: Lodges, Families and the Forest Village Experience
Buhoma — the northern gateway village and the most established tourism sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park — has been receiving gorilla…
East Africa Airport Transfers and Transport: Entebbe, Nairobi, Kigali, Kilimanjaro
Arriving at an East Africa airport after a long international flight and arranging reliable, safe ground transport to the first safari destination is one of…
Kenya Meru National Park: Buffalo Springs and the Forgotten Northern Circuit
Meru National Park — 870 sq km of varied habitat in Kenya's north-central region, 350 km from Nairobi and 80 km northeast of Meru town — is the least-visited…